Self-clamping automatic air connection vibrator mount

ABSTRACT

Fixed clamp jaw means and movable clamp jaw means movable by piston and cylinder means receive a pneumatic vibrator therebetween, and a fixed connector member has a bore which slidably receives the air inlet nose portion of the vibrator. The piston and cylinder means and the bore are connectible to a common source of air under pressure whereby the piston and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vibrator and air under pressure is transmitted to the vibrator for actuating the latter.

United States Patent [1 1 Matson Oct. 28, 1975 SELF-CLAMPING AUTOMATICAIR CONNECTION VIBRATQR MOUNT Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby [76]Inventor: Carl G. Matson, 401 E. Central Assistant Exammer {uan CantorBlvd. Kewanee "1 61443 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Johnson, Dlenner, Emrlch& Wagner [22] Filed: June 6, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 476,892 57 ABSTRACTFixed clamp jaw means and movable clamp jaw means Cl 259/l 269/22;movable by piston and cylinder means receive a pneu- 269/25 maticvibrator therebetween, and a fixed connector [51] Int. GL2 B068l/18;BO1F 11/00 emb h s a bore which slidably receives the air Field ofSearch 259/1 R, 72, 43; inlet nose portion of the vibrator. The pistonand cyl- 269/20, 22, 25; 248/14, 15, 3 1R inder means and the bore areconnectible to a common source of air under pressure whereby the pistonReferences Cited and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vi-UNITED STATES PATENTS brator and air under pressure is transmitted tothe vi- 3,3s0,730 4/1968 Carver 269/25 braior for actuating the latter-3,822,054 7/1974 Matson 259/DIG. 43 X 3,839,918 10/1974 Fischer 259mm.43 x 5 Clams 2 Draw'ng F'gures "Li i SELF-CLAMPING AUTOMATIC AIRCONNECTION VIBRATOR MOUNT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pneumaticvibrators are commonly used, for example, to shake concrete molds forconsolidating concrete, and to shake hoppers and the like for looseningmaterial therein. Heretofore, vibrator mounts have been secured to themolds or hoppers, and a pneumatic vibrator with a short length of hosehas been moved from one mount to another as required. Conventionally ateach location, the vibrator is manually attached and secured to themount by bolts, wedges, cams or the like, and the hose is manuallyconnected to air conducting means leading to a source of air underpressure. After the vibrator has served its purpose, it is manuallyunsecured from the mount, and the hose is manually disconnected from theair conducting means.

These various operations require tools and manual effort, and are timeconsuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The vibrator mount of the present inventioncomprises a base, fixed clamp jaw means secured to the base andengageable with one side of a vibrator, and movable clamp jaw meansmounted on the base and engageable with the other side of the vibrator.Piston and cylinder means are carried by the base for effecting movementof the movable clamp jaw means. A connector member is secured to thebase and has a bore for slidably receiving the air inlet nose portion ofthe vibrator.

When the piston and cylinder means and the bore are connected to acommon source of air under pressure, the piston and cylinder means areactuated for clamping the vibrator between the fixed and movable clampjaw means, and air under pressure is transmitted to the vibrator foractuating the latter. The vibrator is fully released upon interruptionof air pressure.

Prior to air actuation the vibrator is simply placed in the mount, andafter air actuation the vibrator can be simply removed without restraintfrom the mount. Clamping and unclamping of the vibrator, and airconnection and disconnection therewith, are automatic and almostinstantaneous; no tools or manual effort are required to secure thevibrator in the mount, to unsecure the vibrator from the mount, toconnect the vibrator to air conducting means, or to disconnect thevibrator from such means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a pneumaticvibrator and the mount therefor of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vibrator and mount of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIIVIENT Referring now to the drawing,there is indicated generally by the reference numeral a conventionalpneumatic vibrator, and by the reference numeral 12 a self-clampingautomatic air connection vibrator mount embodying the principles of thepresent invention.

The vibrator 10 comprises a generally cylindrical housing 14 with anaxial nose portion 16 in which is formed an air inlet passageway 18. Ina manner well known in the art, the introduction of air under pressureinto the passageway 10 serves to induce vibration of the vibrator 10.

The vibrator mount 12 comprises a base plate 20 to which are secured apair of fixed clamp jaws 22 each presenting an arcuate face 24 formedwith a pair of radially inwardly directed contact projections 26 and 28.Also mounted on the base plate 20 are a pair of movable clamp jaws inthe form of levers 30. The levers 30 are pivotally mounted on a pinmember 32 carried by a support block 34 secured to the base plate 20.The one end of each lever 30 presents an arcuate face 36 formed with aradially inwardly directed contact projection 38.

The pair of fixed clamp jaws 22 define fixed clamp jaw means; the pairof levers 30 define movable clamp jaw means or lever means; the pairs ofarcuate faces 24 and 36 define generally arcuate face means; and thethree pairs of contact projections 26, 28 and 38, which arecircumferentially spaced approximately apart, define contact projectionmeans engageable with the opposed sides of the vibrator housing 14.

Arranged between the base plate 20 and the other ends of the levers 30are piston and cylinder means 40 for effecting pivotal movement of thelevers 30. The piston and cylinder means 40 comprises a sleeve orcylinder 42 secured to the base plate 20, and a resilient cup or piston44 slidable in the cylinder 42. The piston 44 is affixed to a web member46 secured across the other ends of the levers 30. A passageway 48 isformed in the base plate 20 for conducting air under pressure to theinterior of the cylinder 42.

Also secured to the base plate 20 is a connector member 50 which isformed with a bore 52 and a communicating aperture 54. The bore 52 hasdisposed therein a seal ring 56 defining seal means, and serves toaxially slidably receive the nose portion 16 of the vibrator 10 with theair inlet passageway 18 of the vibrator 10 thereby placed incommunication with the bore 52.

Conduits 58 and 60 connect the passageway 48 and the aperture 54 to aflow divider 62, a conduit 64 connects the flow divider 62 to a controlvalve 66, and a conduit 68 connects the control valve 66 to a source ofair under pressure. Through these enumerated air conducting means thepiston and cylinder means 40 and the bore 52 are connectible to a commonsource of air under pressure.

Operationally, the base plate 20 is suitably secured to the side of amold or hopper to be vibrated. With the control valve 66 closed, thereis no air pressure in the conduits 58 and 60, and the movable clamp jaws30 are free to pivot toward the position shown in dotted lines inFIG. 1. The vibrator 10 is then simply lowered between the fixed andmovable clamp jaws 22 and 30 to the position shown in FIG. 2 whereuponthe nose portion 16 enters the bore 52 and partially compresses the sealring 56.

When the control valve 66 is opened, air under pressure is conducted tothe piston and cylinder means 40 for actuating the latter, and to thebore 52 for actuating the vibrator 10. More specifically, the airpressure entering the cylinder 42 urges the piston 44 outwardly causingthe movable clamp jaws 30 to pivot to the solid line position shown inFIG. 1 whereupon the contact projections 26, 28 and 38 securely engageand clamp the vibrator 10 in position. At the same time, air pressure inthe bore 52 further compresses the seal ring 56 for establishing an airtight seal between the nose portion 16 and the bore 52, and air underpressure in the bore 52 is also transmitted to the air inlet passageway18 for actuating the vibrator 10. Thus, clamping of the vibrator l andair connection therewith are automatic. Vibrations of the vibrator aretransmitted through the mount 12 to the associated mold or hopper.

After the vibrator 10 has served its purpose, the control valve 66 isclosed, air pressure is thereupon relieved in the conduits 58 and 60,and the movable clamp jaws are thereby released from their clampingposition. Unclamping of the vibrator 10 is thus automatic. The vibrator10 may then be removed from the mount 12 by simply raising it therefrom,at which time the nose portion 16 is withdrawn from engagement with theseal ring 56 thereby effecting automatic air disconnection.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat various rearrangements and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. For use with a pneumatic vibrator having a generally cylindricalhousing with an axial nose portion in which is formed an air inletpassageway, a selfclamping automatic air connection vibrator mountcomprising a base, fixed clamp jaw means secured to said base andengageable with one side of the vibrator housing, movable clamp jawmeans mounted on said base and engageable with the other side of thevibrator housing, piston and cylinder means carried by said base foreffecting movement of said movable clamp jaw means, a connector membersecured to said base and having a bore for axially slidably receivingthe nose portion of the vibrator with the air inlet passageway of thevibrator communicating with said bore, and said piston and cylindermeans and said bore being connectible to a common source of air underpressure whereby said piston and cylinder means are actuated forclamping the vibrator housing between said fixed and mov able clamp jawmeans and air under pressure is transmitted to the air inlet passagewayof the vibrator for actuating the latter.

2. The vibrator mount of claim 1 wherein said movable clamp jaw is inthe form of at least one lever, said lever is pivotally mounted relativeto said base, one end of said lever is engageable with the other side ofthe vibrator housing, and said piston and cylinder means is arrangedbetween said base and the other end of said lever.

3. The vibrator mount of claim 2 wherein said fixed clamp jaw means andsaid one end of said lever present generally arcuate face means at leastportions of which are engageable with the vibrator housing.

4. The vibrator mount of claim 3 wherein said arcuate face means areformed with radially inwardly directed contact projection means whichare circumferentially spaced approximately apart and which areengageable with the vibrator housing.

5. The vibrator mount of claim 4 including seal means in said bore forestablishing an air tight seal between the nose portion of the vibratorand said bore.

1. For use with a pneumatic vibrator having a generally cylindricalhousing with an axial nose portion in which is formed an air inletpassageway, a self-clamping automatic air connection vibrator mountcomprising a base, fixed clamp jaw means secured to said base andengageable with one side of the vibrator housing, movable clamp jawmeans mounted on said base and engageable with the other side of thevibrator housing, piston and cylinder means carried by said base foreffecting movement of said movable clamp jaw means, a connector membersecured to said base and having a bore for axially slidably receivingthe nose portion of the vibrator with the air inlet passageway of thevibrator communicating with said bore, and said piston and cylindermeans and said bore being connectible to a common source of air underpressure whereby said piston and cylinder means are actuated forclamping the vibrator housing between said fixed and movable clamp jawmeans and air under pressure is transmitted to the air inlet passagewayof the vibrator for actuating the latter.
 2. The vibrator mount of claim1 wherein said movable clamp jaw is in the form of at least one lever,said lever is pivotally mounted relative to said base, one end of saidlever is engageable with the other side of the vibrator housing, andsaid piston and cylinder means is arranged between said base and theother end of said lever.
 3. The vibrator mount of claim 2 wherein saidfixed clamp jaw means and said one end of said lever present generallyarcuate face means at least portions of which are engageable with thevibrator housing.
 4. The vibrator mount of claim 3 wherein said arcuateface means are formed with radially inwardly directed contact projectionmeans which are circumferentially spaced approximately 120* apart andwhich are engageable with the vibrator housing.
 5. The vibrator mount ofclaim 4 including seal means in said bore for establishing an air tightseal between the nose portion of the vibrator and said bore.